Stratolaunch LLC has announced that Thomas Bussing has been named Co-Chair of the Board of Directors.

Alongside Co-Chair Jim Geisler, he will support the Stratolaunch management team on its mission to accelerate hypersonic technology.

Bussing is an aerospace and defense industry leader with more than 35 years of experience at prominent organizations, including Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). He most recently served as the Vice President and Deputy General Manager of Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Projects programme, known as Skunk Works, overseeing a range of aircraft designs and highly classified R&D programmes.

Prior to Lockheed Martin, Dr. Bussing served as Vice President of the Advanced Missile Systems product line for Raytheon Missile Systems, where he executed several multi-hundred-million dollar development programmes, which lead to Raytheon winning several multi-billion dollar missile franchise programs, including one hypersonic programme.

Transforming the hypersonic environment

“Stratolaunch is transforming the hypersonic environment,” said Jim Geisler, Co-Chair of Stratolaunch Board of Directors. “The team continues to achieve critical milestones, including the successful completion of its recent Talon-A separation test. Tom is joining at a truly exciting time for the company. His deep aerospace and commercial background will make him an incredible partner as we execute on our game-changing mission.”

Zachary Krevor, president and CEO of Stratolaunch, added: “Tom has led the development of world-class capabilities and systems solutions for significant aerospace programs. We’ll benefit immensely from his experience as we reshape hypersonic testing by making it more reliable and accessible for commercial and government customers.”

Bussing commented: “The advancement of hypersonics has never been more important. Stratolaunch is on the forefront with its innovative testing approach and cutting-edge technologies. I’m looking forward to working with Jim, Zachary, and the entire Stratolaunch team to support this national imperative and set a new standard for in-flight hypersonic testing.”
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